The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting mechanically interlocking joints in non-metallic work-pieces, particularly wood work-pieces. More specifically, the present invention provides an apparatus for cutting different configurations of mechanical interlocking joints with a router.
In the joining of two pieces of wood or other non-metallic materials, various types of joints are utilized. In the joining of two work-pieces at a 90.degree. angle to form a box-like structure, the most common joints are those known as blind, half-blind, and open "dove-tail" joints, "box-cut" and "mortise and tenon" joints. In connecting pieces of work-pieces end-to-end, "box-cut" type joints are utilized as well as those referred to in the art as "finger joints". Finger joints are particularly useful in splicing two work-pieces together.
These joints are routinely made utilizing hand held routers which follow templates or patterns which overlay each work-piece to be routed. Many of these devices and apparatuses presently known in the art which are used in conjunction with routers are hard to adjust in the alignment of the work-pieces with appropriate templates and in many instances, only one work-piece can be cut at a time. Moreover, most apparatuses have limited usage and cannot be used for various types of cuts with various thicknesses of work-pieces.